DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 18th year with its 2015 weekly surveys. Polls will be circulated from Feb. 16-June 25 (weekly through June 10) following the 69th annual NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., at TD Ameritade Park.
LSU remains No. 1 nationally for the sixth consecutive week after its May 18-24 showing. There have been five teams to date in the top spot with Vanderbilt (preseason No. 1, March 30-April 6), Virginia (Feb. 16-23-March 2-9), TCU (March 16), LSU (March 23, April 20-27-May 4-25), and Texas A&M (April 13) previously have holding the top positions in the 2015 surveys. The poll voters come from 42 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation.
The five different teams at No. 1 in 2015 equal the total from the 2013 season, and there were six different top-ranked squads in 2014.
The eight No. 1 seeds in the 15 NCAA Championships 64-team bracket are NCBWA No. 2 UCLA as top seed, No. 1 LSU as second seed, No. 7 Louisville as third seed, No. 3 Florida as fourth seed, No. 8 Miami (Fla.) in the fifth slot, No. 4 Illinois in sixth, No. 5 TCU at seventh, and No. 10 Missouri State as the eighth seeded squad in the bracket. All 16 NCAA Regional hosts are among the Top 30 this week.
The current survey has representation by 11 different conferences among the 302 baseball-playing schools in the 2015 NCAA Division I ranks. There have been 15 conferences with Top 30 rated teams in 2015. The rankings of 2012 had a NCBWA-poll record 22 different DI conferences and independents rated at least one week while 19 separate circuits had team rankings in '14.
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a membership card, directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Dick Howser Trophy, Regional Players of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors Division I Players of the Week, the Stopper of the Year, and publication and writing contests.